George Lucas has added his opinion to the growing debate on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in filmmaking, saying that it will be an inevitable part of the future of cinema.
In a wide-ranging interview with A Rabbit’s Foot, the Star Wars creator was asked about the ongoing discussion about the place of AI in filmmaking. The rapidly-growing technology has been divisive, with many claiming it has been trained on art made by humans without their consent, and will be used to replace human creativity.
Asked about it, Lucas said: “Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies. It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress, it’s the future.”
When pressed about the risks of the technology, he countered: “If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that. Humans can’t, we’re not that smart. The whole idea is you’re a human being, you’re responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you’re doing something that’s illegal you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognised. It’s just like real life.”
AI has been a divisive topic in Hollywood, with everyone from Backrooms director Kane Parsons to Pope Leo XIV condemning the use of the technology. Martin Scorsese has received criticism for endorsing an AI firm for the purposes of storyboarding, while Jodie Foster claimed the Brad Pitt film F1 was created by AI in a defence of the technology (F1 has no confirmed use of AI in its production).
Recently, controversial AI “actress” Tilly Norwood was announced as making its feature debut.
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